Adult dogs spend 12 to 14 hours asleep each day. Parts of the canine sleep pattern resemble our own sleep cycle—including REM sleep. When your dog’s eyelids begin to twitch and her paws start to move, you may be wondering what’s going on during her slumber. Do dogs dream? The answer is: most likely.
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Floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and severe weather—ensuring safety for your family and pets in case of emergency or evacuation is easier if you’re prepared. Discuss emergency planning with the family so everyone knows how to stay safe, and follow these guidelines for including your dogs in your contingency plan.
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Discovering you’re allergic to your dog is upsetting, but there’s no need to fret—dog allergies don’t have to undermine good times with your best friend. Unless the reaction is severe, you can take steps to make living with your beloved canine more comfortable. Here’s how to manage allergic reactions to your dog.
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Yes, there are some holiday foods dogs can eat. But it’s important to know many holiday staples can make your dog sick, and others are downright dangerous for dogs to ingest. Below we cover the safety of common holiday foods, and offer tips to keep your dog safe from risky seasonal fair. Let’s start with the main course:
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The very best dog gifts are a mix of functional, durable, and fun. Sturdy dog beds that hold up to constant chewing. Dog crates that are rugged, comfy, and portable. Dog toys your best friend can enjoy well beyond Christmas morning.
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Winter’s early sunsets mean more dog walks at dusk and after dark—along with additional dog walking safety concerns. In low light or dark conditions, visibility reduces significantly: car and truck drivers don’t see you or your dog as readily as they do in daylight, and you see less of the path before you. It’s important to take extra precautions to keep you and your dog safe when walking at night.
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Murph’s quizzical look could have one of several meanings.
Photo by: Paul Fersen
There’s something irresistible about that quizzical head cock in a dog—the tilted noggin, with her eyes and ears akimbo: she looks as though she’s listening with a mixture of attention, excitement, and curiosity, and it’s beyond adorable. While there’s no research to back this up, it’s a safe bet that some people choose to get a dog because of it—they observe a puppy tilting her head to one side and can’t wait to bring home their new best friend with this endearing habit. So why do dogs tilt their heads? There’s a scarcity of research on the subject, but let’s explore some of the top scientific theories.
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The single best way to find your lost dog is to outfit her in a personalized dog collar, embroidered or engraved with your phone number, before she goes missing. The reason is simple: the person who finds her is most likely to check her collar or tags first, and call the number on them before making ‘found dog’ posters or fliers, or dropping her at the local animal shelter. That one phone call will lead a good Samaritan instead directly to you, and hopefully your pal will be back in your arms again in short order. A redundant system is better still—adding ID hang tags to your dog’s collar and having her microchipped are smart backups.
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It is so exciting to bring a new puppy home. What’s not to love about a warm, fluffy, wriggling mass of energy who delights in playing with her humans and exploring her new surroundings in search of trouble? A puppy brings so much life and energy to a household, it’s easy to get carried away, overindulging her exuberant behavior and insatiable desire for attention. While that behavior might be novel and charming now, it’s not going to be so cute when your dog becomes an out-of-control, full-grown dog.
You should certainly enjoy your new puppy and her hilarious antics, but need to set the groundwork to help her develop into a well-adjusted, obedient adult dog. Hopefully by now you will have read a book or two about raising and training a dog and have some idea about needed structure and discipline. But if you’re like most new puppy owners, you may have lapses where you don’t follow the advice of experts. Here are some guidelines you should never ignore:
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Among the most beloved, ubiquitous, and recognizable dog breeds, the enthusiastic and sociable Labrador Retriever not only makes an excellent pet, but is also an outstanding working dog. Originally bred as a water-retrieving hunting dog, the Lab possesses a combination of intelligence and eagerness to please his humans, making him highly trainable for a wide variety of work. Long pressed into service aiding those with disabilities, the Lab also has an excellent sense of smell, making him invaluable for police and military work.
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